Sweeper



Patented Dec. 9, 1930 JOSEPH LAFAYTTE :AULTMAN, or eeinsnnn, ALABAMAI SWEEPER p Application filed September s, 1928. Serial No. scenes.

My invention relates to newanduseful improvements in sweepers or brushes and more particularly to a device of thisv character adapted for sweeping or cleaning floors such as in textile plants, mills, factories, hotels or the like wherein in each operation it is desired to cover arelatively large area for accumulating the material upon the floor or the like, the principalobje'ctof the invention consisting in constructing the device so that it is relatively simple. and cheap in construction, light, so. that it may be readily moved over the surface, and adapted to be foldedor collapsed to'be storedin a relatively small space; l

Another object of the invention residesin providing a sweeper or brush formed of two sections hingedly connected at one end, the sections being adapted to be opened to extend in substantially V-shape, it being un,

derstood that the sections may be opened or closed to the desired extent so as to cover a greater or less areaasdesired.v V v .A further object of the invention consists in forming a sweeper or brush having two sections adapted toflbe connected together, each of the sections carrying a multiplicity of' relatively stiff brush bristles,the bristles being forwardly and inwardly directedso that the bristles of eachisection extend forwardly with the bristles ofone sectionex tending inwardly towards the bristles of the other section, and the rearwardmost bristles of each section being of somewhat greater length than the forwardmost bristles so that when the sections are opened or arranged in sweeping or brushing position the rearwardmost bristles of one section will overlap or be interenga-gedwith the bristles of the other section to prevent the dirt or waste accumulated by the sweeper or brush from passing through the rear end thereof.

With the above and other objects in view,

which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details of construction, and arrangement of parts, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to me, it Will i be understood that suchchangesmay be made as' will fall within thescope of the appended claims 7 i 1 In the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a perspective." p 1 Fig. 2 is a bottom plan; and v 1 Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. i j Inthe drawings a and 6 indicate the sec tions of the sweeper or brush hingedly connected at 1 and each of the sections comprises a vertically extending p1ate2 formed at the rear end with the loop or* eye portions3 through which the hinge pinextends, the loop or eye portions of onesection being-staggered with those of the adjacent section so that they may be brought in alignment as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3'of the drawings to form a continuous loop or eye for the hinge pin, At the forward ends the plates 2 are-reducedinheight as shown at 1 so that the sweeper or brush may be pushed under relatively lowobjects in the cleaning operation. At-the loweredge each of theplates, includingthe-reduced portions 4, are'bent to provide the" outwardly directed horizontal flange 5 having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings therethrough in which bolts 6 are adapted to pass to secure the brush heads 7 to the flange. Nuts Sale-received on the bolts, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, so that the brush head may be readily detachedwhen desired. The plates 2are formed of metal or similar material whereas the brush" heads 7 will be formed ofwood or similar material. Each ofthe brush heads? has secured to its bottom face a multiplicity of relatively stiff bristles 9 which, as quite clearly shown in the drawings, are inclined forwardly and inwardly. In other words theibristles carried by each brush head'are inclined forwardly and at the same time the'bristles carried by one brush head are inclined inwardly or towards the bristles of the other brush head. This is of particular advantage'in that dirt, lint, waste or'the like, will be prevented from'passing beneath the bristles, in-the sweeping opera tion, and when the sections are arranged in than those bristles towards the forward ends.

of the heads so that the rearwardmost bristles will overlap or inter-engage as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The overlapping or interengaging of the rearwardmost bristles forms a closure at the rear'of thebrushes and prevents dirt from passing between the hinged ends thereof.

In order that the sweeper. or-brush may be easily pushed over the floor or other surface I provide the handles 11, of-the shape shown, with the hand grips-12 and these handlesare secured to the outer faces of t-he:;plat es 2*by means of thenut and bolt connections shown at 13 whereby the handles may belreadily removed when desired. At 14 I have indicated braces positionedbetween each of thehandles and its associated platef V From the above detailed description it is thought that the construction and advantages will be'clearly understood. While Ihave described my sweep-er as beingmore particularly adapted for cleaning floors or the like in mills, textile plants, factories,.hotels,-and the like it will be understood that it might equally as'well beused' for cleaning other surfaces at other places. By having the:sections at and b hingedly connectedtog'ether at one end the sections may .belopened or positioned in V-shape or formation to.cover; a relativ'elylarge area in every operation. At the same time dirt or the like will be received in the relatively wide 'openend. of the brush or sweeper and directedrearwardly thereof. Thebrush heads are, connected to the metal plates in a novel manner so that they may be readily detached when desired such as for replacement when the old brusheshave be come worn. The handles are provided for readily pushing the sweeper or brush over the floor or the like and are also used for opening and closing the sections, it being un-- derstood that when the. sweeper or'brush. is not in use that the sections maybe closed or brought together into close contact for storing away into a relatively. small space. By having the forward ends of. the; metal plates 2' reduced in height the: sweeper may be operated under relatively low objects. The ad vantages in having the brush bristles arranged as described has been fully brought out and afurtherdetaileddescription thereof is not thought necessary. 1

Havi'ngfnlly described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. sweeper of the character described including two sections, means for connecting the sections, and brush heads connected to and carried by each of the sections, each of the brush heads having forwardly and" inwardly directed bristles. I

2. A sweeper of the character described including sections, means for connecting the section's atone end, and'a brush head carried by each of the sections, each of the brush heads including forwardly and inwardly directed bristles,.the bristles towards the connected ends of the sections being of greater length than the remaining bristles whereby the'bristles adjacent the comiected 'end ofone section will overlap or'interminglewith corresponding bristles of the other section.

3. A sweeper of the;character described including two members pivot-ally-connected at one end whereby they may be swung to extend parallel. or at an'outwardly extending angle from the pivot'p0int,each of-said members'includinga plate having. its lower lonigitudinal edge bent toprovide an: outwardly directed horizontal flange and. its forward end offless height than the rear end,.a brush connected toeach of the horizontally extending flanges, the bristles atithe endsof the brushes at the pivot ends of the-members'being of alength to overlap and intermingle when the members areat any angle to provide a closure at the pivot ends of" the members, and a handle connected to each ofthe-members forpropellingthe sweeper. 4. A sweeper of the character describedineluding two members pivotally connected at one end whereby they may be swungto extend parallel or at an outwardly extending angle from the pivot point, each of saidfmembers including a plate having its lower longitudinal edge bent to provide-an outwardly directed horizontal flange and its forward end of less height than the rear end, a brush positioned beneath each of the horizontal flanges, and means extending through the brushes and horizontal flanges fordet'achably connecting-the brushes'to the flanges.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix signature.

JOSEPH. LAFAYTTE' ,AULTMAN. 

